


King of Anything

by Dawnrider



Series: King of Anything Series [1]
Category: InuYasha - A Feudal Fairy Tale
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/M, Fluff, Inspired by Music, coffee shop au if you squint
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-28
Updated: 2019-11-28
Packaged: 2021-02-18 07:03:57
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,941
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21590452
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dawnrider/pseuds/Dawnrider
Summary: Kagome figures out that perhaps the thing right in front of her isn't necessarily the best.  The scent of cinnamon and sweet melt together to make something new.
Relationships: Higurashi Kagome/InuYasha, Higurashi Kagome/Kouga (brief), Miroku/Sango (InuYasha)
Series: King of Anything Series [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1599280
Comments: 10
Kudos: 137





	King of Anything

**Author's Note:**

> Modern AU inspired by "King of Anything" by Sara Bareilles. (https://youtu.be/eR7-AUmiNcA) It popped up on my Spotify in my car and I immediately started writing out ideas when I got home. It grew from there and may continue to grow if I let it...

The steam from her latte brought the scent of cinnamon and a little sweet to her nose as Kagome stared through the plate glass beside her. It was cold out, a dusting of frost and condensation near the window ledge a testament to the difference in temperature inside the coffee shop compared to the air outside. Everyone moving past was bundled with hats and scarves, bustling to get to their destinations.

Kagome was envious for a moment, the droning in her left ear finally catching her attention again. “So then I thought we could take a trip to see my family, you know? They have really been itching to meet you.” Kagome blinked at the wolf youkai across from her, not quite comprehending what he was saying. They had been dating, what… A month? She wasn’t sure. It hadn’t been long, she knew that. It had felt longer than she knew it had actually been. “It’s really nice in the mountains this time of year. Fresh powder…” Aaaand he’d lost her again.

It had been like this pretty much since the first week. He had just “known” that they would click and was so certain that she felt the same. Kagome thought he was good looking and he was charming in his own way. He was certainly dedicated. She could be honest with herself and say she liked that he doted on her. There was something to be said for his enthusiasm, but it was beginning to wear her down. He “knew” everything. Always. All the time. She had a history of being the partner with less initiative, letting the other person choose what to do, where to eat. Koga was directing her entire life.

Kagome only half listened as he continued to describe his family home in the mountains of… somewhere. She’d missed that part. Her latte was finally just the right temperature to drink and she was going to enjoy every single sip. _Oh, sweet, cinnamony caramel goodness._ She almost purred as the thought filled her head.

The cars on the street were few and far between this late in the evening. Kagome smiled at the little red muscle car that slid into a parallel spot with surprising skill. The snow piled on the edge of the sidewalk had deterred multiple cars before it, and she was surprised the driver of this one had braved the trudge through several feet of crunchy, icy snow to get out of their car. Kagome used her finger to doodle a smiley face in the frosty condensation. “You ski, right Kagome?”

“I’ve gone once,” she sighed, her attention returning to the dark-haired man across from her. His blue eyes sparkled as she looked his way. Kagome couldn’t help grinning a little at the delighted look he gave her. Until she realized he was plotting how he could get her out on the slopes and take advantage of her lesser skill to “teach” her. He’d done something similar with rock climbing the week before.

There was a blast of cold air from the direction of the front door as someone came into the shop. The barista greeted them and asked them if they were having their usual. Kagome noted that the man ordered the same thing she had, but couldn’t focus on any more than that when Koga let out a sound of disgust. “I don’t know how you can drink stuff like that. It’s so… sweet. Doesn’t it make your teeth hurt? I mean, human teeth are pretty weak,” he mused, more to himself than anything.

Kagome paused mid-sip, fighting - and losing - the battle to keep her eyebrows from dropping in irritation. It was alright to have a difference in taste. Koga liked his coffee black, undoctored. _Bitter and boring._ Kagome didn’t like to drink it that way, but didn’t criticize him for his choice. Why couldn’t he extend the same courtesy? And on top of that, what did her being human have to do with anything? “I happen to take very good care of my teeth,” she reminded him. “And it tastes good. Why would I sit here and drink something I don’t enjoy?”

Koga gave her a sheepish look. “I know. I didn’t mean _you_ , Kagome.”

“Uh huh.”

The ookami went off into a short list of virtues that made her different from other humans, which used to feel flattering, but now made her realize how little respect he had for humans in general. It made her feel like a trophy Koga thought he had won and not his girlfriend. “I really want to stay in the den, at least one night. It’s actually a lot warmer in the caves than you’d think, especially with a nice fire going…” Kagome found herself zoning out on him again as he described an experience she wanted no part of. Sleeping in a cave in the mountains in the cold? Not as a survival strategy? Who did he think she was? Lara Croft?

Kagome felt a nudge against her back as someone pulled out the chair behind her, acknowledging the soft apology with a partial glance and a nod. Long silver hair, braided down their back caught her attention for a half second before Kagome scooted her chair forward to give the old lady space. She went back to listening to Koga in an attempt to catch up on the conversation. At some point during her distraction, he had pulled out a map and was showing her where his family’s land was and the distance from the house to the ancestral den. Apparently his tribe had been living there for centuries. He wanted them to hike it on foot.

“Koga… when are you thinking we’re going to do this?” she finally asked. He blinked up at her as though surprised to hear her speak.

“I thought next week.” His tone was matter of fact, implying he thought she already knew that. Kagome’s jaw dropped a little and, if she hadn’t already set it down, she probably would have dropped her cup as well.

“Excuse me?” she puffed out. His face reflected how he hadn’t expected any sort of dissent from her. “Koga, I have to work. I have the dress-fitting for Sango’s wedding next week.”

“You just told me you needed a break from work! The clinic can do without you for a week, can’t they?” She noticed he ignored the part about getting fitted for her maid of honor dress.

Kagome rubbed the bridge of her nose to fend off the oncoming headache she could feel behind her eyes. She looked down at the map on the table, noting the scrawled notes and marked spots with activities Koga clearly felt she’d enjoy. One of which was “snowshoeing.” Kagome wanted no part of that. She like snow as much as the next person, so long as it was outside and she was inside. “No, Koga, without warning, they definitely cannot ‘do without’ me.”

“Kagome…”

“Koga…”

“I really want you to meet my family. It’s important to me. You’re important to me.” She couldn’t help melting, just a little, at his insistence that she meant enough to him to meet his family, even so early in their relationship. “You don’t have to, but it would really mean a lot.”

Someone coughed out “manipulation” behind her. Or at least that’s what she thought. Though it might have been her imagination reflecting her internal monologue. “I understand that. Can’t we try another week? November is always busy. A lot of people wait to get their flu shots and…”

He cut her off, “But my birthday is next week.” _Damn_ , she thought, outwardly speechless. How was she supposed to deny him now? “Please?”

“I… Koga, I can’t. I’m the maid of honor in my best friend’s wedding. I need to be at that fitting. I’m also the only nurse practitioner on call for the clinic half the week. I have twelves the other days.” His face fell and Kagome almost took it back.

Koga stayed quiet for a while, the first stretch of silence since they sat down with their drinks. Kagome felt rising anxiety in her gut. Anxiety with a healthy dose of guilt. Maybe she could work something out, reschedule her fitting or something. She could try and call Kaede, the semi-retired NP who she’d done clinicals with and been close to ever since. Maybe she would be willing to cover for a few days. “I just wanted to give you the break you needed,” he finally said, the pout evident in his tone.

Kagome had to shutter her gaze and bend her head to hide how hard her eyes rolled.

The guilt disappeared in an instant. He was trying to make this about her, or at least make her think that’s what it was about, but it was so blatantly about what he wanted. Kagome might not have been the most experienced in the romance and relationship department, but she was no stranger to someone trying to manipulate her. She’d dealt with enough people trying to get doctor’s notes or prescriptions they didn’t actually need. Her first boyfriend had given her gift after gift to try and make her feel obligated to take things further between them than she felt comfortable with. There was a reason Hojo never got any further than a kiss.

At least now she knew Koga was no different.

She was tired of being told - directly or indirectly- what to do all the time. Kagome wanted more from a relationship, she wanted an equal partner who respected her, who actually cared about her opinion enough to ask for it. Not whatever was happening with Koga. She had hidden from the way he made her feel until she couldn’t any longer. He looked down on her. Not just because she was human, but because she was female to boot. Kagome knew that being Koga’s “little wifey” was absolutely _not_ what she wanted. She just needed to work up the nerve to tell him so.

“Koga. I-I don’t know that all of this is a good idea.”

His head popped up and his blue eyes were wide. “What do you mean, Kagome?”

She took a breath, shifting uncomfortably in her chair. “This. Us. I don’t like feeling that I don’t have a say in anything.”

“You do!” he insisted.

“No, I don’t. Not really.” She clenched her fists on the table a moment. “You hardly know me, Koga. Did you know I don’t like snow all that much? Or that I have weak ankles?” He spluttered a moment. Kagome pointed to his map on the table. “I wouldn’t like, and probably wouldn't be able to do, most of those things.”

“I could carry you.”

Kagome didn’t bother fighting the eyebrow that rose in response to that ridiculous answer. “No thank you. I don’t want anyone to carry me. I’m not a damsel in distress.” She sighed. A faint chuckle behind her reminded her that they were not alone in this corner, let alone the coffee shop. Kagome made a point to lower her voice. “Koga. You’re a nice guy and you mean well.” _Sort of_. “But I think you need someone who wants to be taken care of. I can take care of myself.” Kagome reached behind her to grab onto the collar of her coat, accidentally bumping the person behind her. “Sorry,” she murmured. A grunt of acceptance met her apology.

“Kagome, you’re not seriously… you’re not breaking up with me.” Koga stood, getting ready to block her way as she slipped into her coat and tucked her scarf around her neck. “Kagome!”

“I’m sorry, Koga. I really do appreciate the time we’ve spent together, but this isn’t fair to either one of us.” She collected her purse and her unfinished latte, popping the lid on, and turned to head towards the door.

The silver haired lady sitting in the chair behind hers caught her attention once more. Only it was no lady, and definitely not an older one at that. The man smirked at her, tipping his head to her in greeting and lifting his cup in a toast. She could only assume he was subtly applauding her burst of bravery. She flushed, marching out, and didn’t look back. Koga didn’t try to chase her. Kagome had not felt so light in weeks.

* * *

Kagome hadn’t been back to the coffee shop, despite it being her favorite spot, for days. The lowered temperatures, however, had driven her back sooner than she intended. She knew Koga wouldn’t be there. Or at least, he shouldn’t be there. The wolf lived on the other side of the city from the shop and she lived within walking distance. Her ears had insisted that she go back as soon as possible. Her knit hat had to be in their lost and found and she _needed_ that hat!

She stamped the snow off of her boots and smiled at the barista who greeted her. “A medium or a large today, Miss Kagome?”

“A large. Thank you, Shippo.” The young fox smiled with a nod and glanced behind her before going to the shiny La Marzocco to get the portafilters rinsed. 

He grabbed a large paper cup, pumping caramel and a bit of cinnamon syrup in, and set it aside. Kagome took a moment to take in the smells and sounds of the espresso being ground, watching the rhythmic dance of the tamper compressing and tapping on the portafilter in quick succession until Shippo felt satisfied the ground beans were ready to pop into the machine. He poured milk into a pitcher with a practiced eye and spun the knob for the steam wand now dipped into the milk. There was a brief squeal before it was humming and whistling in a more pleasant tone. His fingertips on the side of the stainless steel seemed to be the only gauge of temperature, but Kagome knew Shippo always got her drink exactly right.

The espresso pouring over the syrups in her cup made the smell rise in the air, the sweet steamed milk looking like silk as Shippo held off the foam for last. He made a delicate leaf design on top that made her laugh. “You never do the heart for me anymore,” she teased him. The kitsune blushed. “I’m kidding. That leaf is gorgeous.” Kagome held out her cash, waiting for Shippo to take it as he handed her the cup. He glanced past her for the second time and Kagome finally looked around the shop, fearing she’d missed that her now-ex was there.

Instead, she spotted the silver-haired man from before. He was sitting at the same table and it was easy to spot her garish yellow knit hat sitting on the roughened surface. His bright eyes went to the hat, noticing her gaze, and he smirked. “He already paid for your drink, Miss Kagome.”

“W-What?” She half-turned. “How…”

“I found your hat on the floor after you left, but you were long gone by the time I got outside.” He held out the soft cable knit cap her mother had made her. It was her favorite with good reason, being the warmest thing she owned. In that moment, Kagome saw the warmth of his eyes. And the warmth of the hat. Of course. “I’m Inuyasha.”

“Kagome.”

His smile was small but genuine. “Nice to actually meet you.” He waited for her to take her hat from him before motioning for her to sit. “Unless you have somewhere you need to…”

“No! Um. No. I’m on call.”

“Hm. Nurse practitioner, right?” She nodded with a slight frown. He looked upward, drawing her attention to the ears sitting on top of his head. “I couldn’t help overhearing you the other day.” Kagome couldn’t help flushing with shame in response. “Hey, don’t worry about it,” he murmured. “You were right to tell that guy off.”

Kagome struggled to come up with a different topic that didn’t revolve around her public relationship meltdown. “I haven’t seen you in here before. Did you just move into the neighborhood?”

“Oh, um, yea,” Inuyasha replied, rubbing the back of his neck. “Well no,” he corrected himself, obviously flustered. “I work near here. The dojo just opened a few weeks ago.”

Kagome froze. Dojo? Nearby. “You don’t work with a Kohaku, by any chance, do you?” As his eyes widened, she saw that they were a stunning amber-gold. His reaction said it all. Small world. “He’s my best friend’s little brother. He’s been losing his mind over starting this new job.”

Inuyasha’s grin returned, eyes sparkling. “That sounds like him. Kid is pretty enthusiastic, but so serious!”

Kagome laughed. “I know! Sango says he’s been like that since he was a little kid.”

The pair chatted for nearly an hour before Kagome’s phone started buzzing. She groaned. “Work?” he asked, sitting back and crossing his legs at the ankles. She looked at the number on the screen and nodded morosely. “Are you working tomorrow?” The inquisitive tone in his voice belied his nonchalant posture.

“I am. Could… could I buy your latte next time?"

"Depends," he hummed, leaning toward her across the table. Kagome was fascinated by the playful light in his golden eyes. "Can I buy you dinner afterward?" She hesitated. What kind of person would she be if she dumped one man just to pick up another in the same coffee shop a few days later? "Hey, no pressure." Kagome smiled weakly. "How about this. You trust the brat over there, right?"

"I heard that, you jerk!" Shippo called from behind the bar. Kagome's smile brightened at their teasing banter. "Don't try to use me to cover your social awkwardness."

Inuyasha rolled his eyes. "I've known Shippo a long time, he can tell you all the dirt on me. If there's anything that makes you want nothing to do with me, I won't come back here."

"I don't think… Wouldn't it be better if you told me yourself?" She slowly collected her things and started getting her coat on.

The corner of Inuyasha's mouth lifted in a half smile. "Maybe. But I don't want you to spend any more time with me unless you actually want to. Think of it as a vetting process. Find out if I'm worth your time so you're not wasting it."

Kagome noted he didn't seem worried about wasting his time. "I… ok."

"If you're not completely put off, he's got my number. I give him full permission to give it to you and then you decide if you want to call me. Deal?" Flustered, Kagome could only nod. She started to walk away from the table but stopped at a tug on her sleeve. "Wait." Inuyasha unfolded himself from his chair, standing at least six inches taller than her. "You really should get a leash on this thing," he chuckled as he moved to put her brightly colored hat on her head. He paused, waiting for her permission before he slid it over her hair and ears. His hands were large compared to her face and she got just the barest brush of his thumb near her eyebrow as he rolled the edge back from her face.

"Thank you," she whispered. They both had a dusting of pink on their cheeks. "My mother always tells me I would lose my head if it weren't attached to my shoulders." He smiled. He had a really nice smile, she decided.

"You better get going." She nodded but didn't move right away. "Shippo is off at nine. If you're done by then…"

"Shippo, I'll be by later." Gold eyes stayed locked with brown.

"Yea, ok, Miss Kagome." His red hair bobbed in its high tail as he shook his head. 

“Get outta here before you’re late.” 

She nodded and turned to go. She stopped abruptly and turned to the inuhanyou still at the table. His ears laid back at the slightly panicked look on her face. “Thank you, for the latte!” He gave her a fanged grin in response then made a shooing motion to get her out the door.

* * *

Kagome fidgeted with the slip of receipt paper in her fingers, a scrawled phone number in green ink on its slightly shiny surface. “Are you just going to play with it until you can’t read it anymore, or are you actually going to call him?” She looked up at her best friend since high school with pleading eyes. “Kagome,” Sango admonished. “He’s leaving the ball in your court. _You_ have to make the move this time.”

“I…” She stopped, looking down at the number again.

“The kitsune kid said he’s a decent guy. The worst thing was an ex he was hung up on for a while, but who doesn’t have that? Kohaku said he’s got a little bit of a temper, but it’s always self-directed.” Kagome nodded. It was no different than Shippo had told her. Hard worker, hard on himself, a bit shy and awkward. Inuyasha neglected to mention that the dojo he “worked at” was in fact _his_ dojo, but she understood now that he didn’t brag about his own accomplishments much. “Is it the hanyou thing?” Sango asked hesitantly.

Kagome’s eyes popped up, fire in them. “No! That has nothing to do with it.” Kagome sighed. “I just don’t want to get into another deadend relationship.”

Sango plopped down on the couch beside her friend. “You won’t know if it’s a dead end or not unless you give it a chance.” A sigh left her. “I never told you how afraid I was at first of going out with Miroku.” Kagome gaped at her friend. Sango had mentioned she had reservations, but never that she was afraid. Which, given her fiance’s flirtatious behavior with anyone without a Y chromosome, was appropriately cautious. It turned out that he was mostly friendly, not really flirting, and once they had a first date, he had eyes for no one but Sango. Now, five years later, they were getting married in a little over a month. “I thought he would be all over the place, that I’d never be able to keep his attention.”

“Now you can barely get rid of him. Hi Miroku!” Kagome laughed as he came into the living room from upstairs. He’d obviously been working on some sort of painting project, a dry stripe of green on his cheek. “Were your ears ringing?”

He leaned over to plant a kiss on his fiancee’s head on the way by. “A bit. Though I’m more worried about why you haven’t called Inuyasha yet.” Kagome let out an exasperated sigh and flopped against the back of the couch. “Hey, I’ve met him a few times at the gym. He seems to be a good guy.”

“Hm. Heard that a few times now.” Kagome only half listened as Sango and Miroku lightly squabbled about him not having told her about meeting Kagome’s would-be suitor before. “Alright! I’ll… text him.”

Sango looked heavenward as she prayed for patience. “That’s a start, I guess.”

Kagome took a deep breath before picking up her phone, putting the number into the “new message” bubble and composing a short text to let him know who was sending it. “There! I did it.” Sango and Miroku both looked at her before beginning slow, sarcastic applause, almost in unison. “Yea, yea. You two are hilarious. I’m leaving.” Kagome gathered up her purse and coat. She stopped to give her friends hugs. “Thanks for driving me to the fitting, Sango. I’m glad you were there with me.”

“Thank you for being my best man,” Sango said with a laugh. It had been a running joke since before they got engaged that Kagome could do the job of standing up with her better than any man they knew could, so she might as well be both. In the end Kohaku would be standing beside Miroku but the joke persisted. “Are you sure you don’t want a ride to your apartment? It’s cold,” Sango fretted as she walked her to the door of their townhome.

“Nah. Stop being such a mother hen, Sango. It’s only a few blocks.” Her best friend flushed before waving her out of the house.

Kagome huffed a breath to see if it was cold enough for it to be visible. Nothing. She checked her phone again as she walked. No response. Well so much for that idea. _He might be busy_ , she reasoned with herself. He did own his own business. Kagome tried to play off the trembling anxiety in her gut as her body acclimating to the outside temperature. She tamped down the urge to look at her phone again and kept her head down against the wind trying to grab at her hat. _Only two more blocks to go._ She glanced up at the street sign just in time to keep from bowling over someone bent down to tie their shoe.

“Oh! Sorry!”

Kagome stepped back when he unfurled from his position and was stunned to see equally startled golden eyes staring back at her. His hair was swept back in a messy bun at the back of his head, ears at attention as he took her in. “Kagome! I…” He took a breath and resettled his gym bag on his shoulder. “I just finished a class.” It took a moment for her to realize he was apologizing for his appearance.

She hadn’t anticipated the level of relief she would feel knowing that he really had been busy and just hadn’t had a chance to respond to her yet. It felt like she might melt. “Oh. Well I… I sent you a text. So, you know…” He looked even more surprised than when he’d realized it was her, then immediately started digging in the outside pockets of his bag.

“Shit. I know it was… there.” He scooped out his smartphone and swiped the screen. She saw him immediately save her contact information and smiled nervously. “Are you heading home?” he asked after a moment. She nodded. “I don’t wanna make you uncomfortable, but could I walk you there?” Kagome hesitated for a breath before nodding. The smile that pulled at his mouth was delightful.

They chatted a bit, but the wind and cold made it difficult. Kagome couldn’t fathom how he didn’t feel like a popsicle with only a heavy sweatshirt on after working out. When her building came into view, she was hit with a feeling of regret. She wanted out of the cold. She didn’t want to stop talking with Inuyasha. The words to ask him in for a cup of hot tea were on the tip of her tongue as he gave her a small grin.

“Inuyasha…”

“I should go get a shower.” He paused, looking at her expectantly for whatever she’d meant to say. She fumbled with her keys as she tried to come up with a valid alternative. Her mitten-clad fingers lost purchase on her keychain and they clinked into the snow. “Here,” he murmured, snatching them up for her and helping her separate out her door keys. Kagome felt heat in her cheeks under the chill from the air.

She hesitated another moment. “I was going to offer you a cup of tea or something, if you wanted it,” she whispered, almost hoping he’d refuse or not hear her.

Kagome didn’t take into account his ears and his amazing hearing despite the wind. “Oh. Well… I… Are you sure?” One clawed hand went behind his neck in an embarrassed gesture. “I wouldn’t want to stink up your place.”

Kagome felt irritation rise in her to cover her mortification. “I offered, didn’t I?”

Inuyasha grinned at her sass and motioned for her to lead the way. The heat he gave off as he stood behind her made her comfortable and nervous in equal parts. She bustled around her apartment, putting water on to boil before she even fully got out of her winter gear. He caught her scarf as she passed him before it dragged on the floor, or tripped her, and she sucked in a breath as he pulled it from her neck to set it on the back of her couch.

“Thanks.” He only nodded in response.

_Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea._ She was far more aware of him than any other person she had ever been in the same space with. It wasn’t fear. It wasn’t wariness either. It was like her whole body felt attuned to his every movement. “Hey, can I use your bathroom? I should at least clean up a little.”

“Of course! Where are my manners?” Kagome scuttled to the closet to hand him a towel and showed him into her tiny bathroom. She wasn’t sure what he was so worried about. If he had been sweaty, she couldn’t tell, and there was no offending odor coming from him that she could detect. Unbidden, a line from an article she read a few weeks before about body chemistry and attraction stuck out in her mind. _People who are physiologically compatible do not find each other’s sweat to be offensive._ Kagome turned away quickly, knowing her face likely looked like a tomato, and went back to the kitchen to attend to the now-whistling kettle.

Inuyasha came out of the bathroom only looking different in that he appeared refreshed and his hair was actually damp. He’d left it loose, which made Kagome swallow hard and turn to awkwardly rustle around in her cabinet for the boxes of tea. “Thanks. I left the towel on the sink. I hope that’s ok?” Kagome nodded jerkily. “Kagome… if you don’t want me he…”

“Do you want spice tea or green? I might have some regular black tea…” Inuyasha taking the box of green from her hand startled her into silence.

His amber eyes shone with concerned. “Seriously, Kagome. I can smell how uncomfortable you are.” His nostrils flared slightly as if to prove his point and she winced.

Kagome took a breath. “I-I’m fine. I just… don’t have people over often.” He gave her another look. “Do you like honey in your tea?” she asked to distract from her rising need to have him closer. She hardly knew him, except what everyone had been telling her. There was also the fact that, other than her typical nervousness around a potential partner, she felt more comfortable with him around than she had in a long time. There was a reason she had invited him in. She didn’t do something like that lightly. He told her he wanted a little and she took the pot from the cupboard and drizzled some from the wooden dipper. A little dripped on her fingers and she licked it off without thinking, missing how the inuhanyou’s pupils blew wide.

He coughed lightly and took the proffered mug from her hands. The normal sized mug in his clawed hands looked tiny to her and she smiled. “Thanks,” he murmured, still keeping his eyes down. Kagome sipped her own tea before adding a splash of milk and a spot of honey. “Did you work today?”

“Hm. No.” She invited him to her couch and snuggled in herself, curling her legs under her as she sipped her tea. “I had my dress fitting for the wedding.”

“W-Wedding?” 

They locked eyes and Kagome realized she should clarify. “My best friend Sango is getting married. You know, Kohaku’s sister? I’m the maid of honor.” She didn’t imagine the little sigh of relief he let out. “Actually, her fiance said he’s met you at the gym a few times. Miroku?”

Inuyasha frowned a moment in thought, then his face lit in recognition. “Yea. Decent enough guy. Seems stressed lately,” he mused.

“The wedding is only six weeks away. Neither one of them has family left aside from Kohaku, so they’re doing it pretty much on their own.” His mouth opened in a little “oh” before he took another sip of his tea.

Kagome’s phone buzzing startled both of them, Inuyasha tipping some of his tea onto his practice gi and chest. A hiss of breath was his only indication that it had hurt, while Kagome panicked. “I’m alright. My skin is pretty tough,” he tried to reassure her. The nurse practitioner in her couldn’t leave it alone, getting a dry towel for his clothes and a cool wet cloth to soothe the reddened skin. While she fussed over him, he smiled at the top of her head. “Who was it?”

A quick glance let her know it wasn’t work. “Sango checking that I made it home.”

“I think you should probably respond to that. Last week, Kohaku didn’t respond for an hour and I think she showed up at the dojo. I wasn’t there, so I just heard about it.” Her face showed her confusion and concern.

“She isn’t usually like that,” she explained. “At least, not _that_ bad.” Her gaze was still fixed on his skin, trying to decide if it needed ointment and then mentally cataloging her medicine cabinet in an effort to remember if she had some. She watched the color fade until it was back to its normal tone. “Oh! Well, look at that.” The edges of the gi spread slightly further apart as she peeked underneath for any hidden damage. It took her a moment to realize what she was doing. Brown eyes lifted slowly to find amused amber. “Sorry!”

“I don’t mind.”

_But you should mind,_ she thought in a panic, still not quite letting go of him. The warmth of his skin against her thumbs made her want to climb into him and chase away the remaining chill from being outside. Any of the guys she had dated before would have jumped at this opportunity. Koga would have had her on her back, kissing her, by now. Yet Inuyasha waited, not moving to push her away nor bring her into him. That small thing, waiting, hit her hard. He was letting her choose. Just like with his phone number, he was letting her decide what she wanted to do and when. No one else had ever done that.

Her delicate hands took a firmer hold of the collar of his gi, tugging him closer to her. Inuyasha took in a startled breath. “K-Kagome?” A shake of her head, concentration scrunching her face, she brought his lips in range of her own. “Kagome, I thought you…”

“Let me decide. Just this once. Let me make the choice.” He felt her pause, slight horror on her face as she realized that maybe she was taking away _his_ choice. Leaning in, he let her know she had his permission. A sigh left her before she tentatively put her lips to his.

He hesitated before returning her kiss, holding himself back as best he could. Now out of the cold and without the coffee shop scents clouding his senses, Inuyasha felt the way her personal scent clouded his mind. He knew from the few whiffs he had gotten from her hat that he wanted more of it, he just hadn’t known the full impact it would have on him until now. Her lips were warm and tasted slightly of the spice tea she was drinking. His tongue just barely slipped out enough to catch a more indepth taste. “Kagome,” he breathed when she released his mouth in surprise. “If that’s what you’re going to choose to do, you can choose any time you want.”

Laughing nervously, she closed her eyes. He took the moment to stare at her, to memorize her features. “You don’t mind?” He snorted before gently tracing her lips with his. The little shuddering breath she let out as her scent grew in his nose pushed him to grasp her more firmly, to hold her closer as he kissed her more urgently. She responded without hesitation, dull human teeth nipping his lower lip, hot breaths exchanged as his fingers dug into the thick strands of her hair. “Inu…” Her thought went unfinished as she practically climbed into his lap in order to kiss him more thoroughly.

Kagome had never in her meager dating history experienced this kind of want. _She_ had never wanted something so much. She’d been on the receiving end of someone else’s desire, she supposed, but had never felt it to this degree herself. “Kagome, maybe we should…” he paused to groan as her hips sunk down onto his lap. “Let me take you to dinner,” he squeaked out.

“You’re thinking about food right now?”

“No. Not even a little. But aren’t we supposed to… ah… go on an actual date first?” He gasped again as she moved to kiss him. Her fingertips smoothed over his chest, now more open to her touch as his gi loosened. He was right. She agreed completely with everything he said. Kagome definitely thought that getting to know someone before being intimate was important for a relationship to grow into something stable.

Right now she didn’t care.

“We can order in,” she whispered. Inuyasha hissed out a breath, mouth moving to kiss down her neck. Kagome whimpered when he softly pressed his fangs into her.

A sharp knock on her front door startled them apart. “Kagome?!”

“You’re kidding…” Kagome groaned, head falling to rest on Inuyasha’s shoulder a moment. He slowly released her hair where he’d been gently gripping her and she slid off of the couch to go to the door. The inuhanyou fumbled to straighten his clothes and picked up his mug to try and look as nonchalant as possible. She glanced in the full-length mirror and noted that her hair was completely mussed, her lips were pink and swollen and there was the beginning of a red mark on her neck. Combing her fingers through hair let her cover her neck, but there was nothing to hide the flush on her cheeks. She pulled the door open and greeted her unexpected guest.

* * *

“So.”

“So?” The tapping of a leather-soled shoe on the tile was slowly making Kagome insane. She let out a slow breath through her nose. “I feel like you have something you want to say, Sango.”

“Who me? Nooo,” her friend responded in an exaggerated tone. “Why on earth would your best friend want to know why you were necking with a man you were terrified to even call on the phone an hour before?”

Kagome growled. “We were _not_ necking.”

“Oh, I’m sorry. Full on making out!”

“Sango…” Her friend continued to tap her heel against the floor. Her office tended to echo due to the inexpensive flooring and the construction of the walls, amplifying the sound that was grating her brain. “Ok! Fine. We were kissing. I should have replied to your text right away that I was alright.”

“So I would have known you were alright or so I wouldn’t have shown up at your place and interrupted your canoodling?”

Kagome sliced her a scathing glance before her eyes returned to her computer screen where she was reviewing the clinic schedule for the afternoon. Her best friend was sitting opposite her in her business suit and heeled boots while trying to intimidate her with looks alone. “Are you more upset about me not letting you know I was home or that I was ‘canoodling’ with Inuyasha?”

“Haven’t decided yet.” Kagome gave her a bland look. “You were afraid of a deadend relationship but you were willing to suck face with him?”

“Where do you get these awful euphemisms?”

Sango shrugged. “My fiance has a lot of ways to describe romantic encounters.”

“Uh huh. And you feel they’re appropriate here, because?” Sango raised her brows expectantly, ignoring her friend's question. Kagome sighed in resigned exasperation. "I don't know, Sango. It wasn't my plan. It was cold, I invited him in for tea."

"And he pressured you," she growled.

"No. It… It was me." Kagome explained how he'd spilled hot tea on himself when the phone went off, that she'd originally been trying to help him. Kagome's eyes widened before a smirk settled on her mouth. "So really, it's your fault."

"Excuse me?"

"Yea! If you hadn't texted me then, he wouldn't have spilled and we wouldn't have gotten so close." 

Sango almost fell for it, but turned it back on her friend immediately. "So all it took was being close and you couldn't keep your paws off of him? Really Kagome…"

"I don't know what it is!" the nurse practitioner huffed, throwing her hands up. "Even the first time I saw him, that night in the cafe with Koga, my tummy did that flip flop thing. And when I got my hat back, I couldn't stop looking at his eyes."

"Guuuuurl!" Sango's eyes were a combination of delighted and a bit scandalized. "You didn't tell me you fell for him at first sight!" All of a sudden, her hardass best friend was a romance-obsessed fangirl. 

Kagome rolled her eyes. "That's not a real thing, Sango." Knowing Sango would settle in to argue her point, she reminded her that she was only on her lunch break and they both needed to get back to work. Kagome was sternly reminded that this didn’t mean their conversation was over. She nodded and shooed Sango out of her office so she could have a few moments of peace before seeing her first afternoon appointment.

Most of the afternoon was spent dealing with children who didn’t want their flu shots and the onset of seasonal upper respiratory season. “So. Much. Snot,” she groaned, washing her hands up to her elbows with the hottest water she could tolerate and a small mountain of foamy soap. She had managed to end several bouts of tears with offers of stickers and handed out small bottles of hand sanitizer and packets of tissues for everyone else. The nurses on shift helped close down the clinic so it took far less time to get out, but it was already dark.

Kagome pulled her hat further down over her ears and made her way down the sidewalk to the coffee shop. The warmth and scents hit her as soon as she opened the door. There was a dull murmur of people chatting, a group of college students in the corner studying with books and laptops sprawled across the table. “Hey,” came a deep voice from her left. Kagome smiled and turned to find Inuyasha lounging at the table closest to the door. His silver hair was only half pulled back, the rest spilling over his shoulder, and his dark red flannel button down was a stark contrast, open casually at the throat. His table had a pair of cups on them, the lid off of his to let it cool, she imagined.

“Hi, were you waiting long?” 

Inuyasha shook his head, smiling and gesturing for her to turn so he could help peel her out of her heavy winter coat. Kagome felt the way he got just close enough to scent her then moved away so as not to overly invade her personal space. Over the last few days they had been almost constantly communicating via text. He had initially tried to apologize for what happened and Kagome had returned the apology with one of her own. Their conversation had moved into getting a better understanding of one another. He explained a little about inuyoukai and their dependence on scents. It had lead to a discussion of why he had been so forthright at the beginning. “Your scent caught me,” he told her, then quickly followed up with, “Not trying to be creepy.” Having been with Koga, she wasn’t completely clueless, but it was different to have Inuyasha explain it. Koga had just mentioned that he could tell a lot about how she was feeling by scent alone, but never seemed to actually notice, if his behavior was anything to go by. Inuyasha seemed to get something more than just information from her scent than he was letting on. Kagome noted how he changed the subject abruptly when she asked him to elaborate.

“You were supposed to let me buy your drink this time,” she complained, even as she sat down to sip her latte. Inuyasha shrugged.

“You never agreed to let me buy you dinner.” Kagome flushed, remembering the more recent offer to buy her dinner. His eyes widened a little, his cheeks pinking, and he cleared his throat. “I mean, it’s just dinner, right?” Kagome nodded despite her body deciding she definitely didn’t want “just dinner.” _Unless Inuyasha is dessert._ Her brown eyes widened and she forced herself to take a sip of her drink to avoid the inuhanyou’s eyes. She knew he couldn’t read her mind, but knowing her scent was almost like an open book to him was a little frightening.

They managed to change the subject and talked about the dojo instead. It was doing well enough, especially given it hadn’t been open long, and Inuyasha felt fairly confident that they would be in the black sooner rather than later. “That’s got to be a heavy weight to carry, all your savings hanging in the balance?”

Inuyasha nodded a little. “It can be, yea. But I started out with a good gang of students who I was teaching in their homes or at schools. Wherever I could rent space.” They briefly chatted about how Kagome had gotten hired at the neighborhood clinic, serving humans, youkai and anywhere in between. Inuyasha found her empathy for all people fascinating. She voiced frustration that there were still places that refused care to anyone.

Inuyasha shrugged and sighed. Something had been bothering him since their last encounter and he wanted to ask Kagome about it, but shied away from upsetting her. Her obviously caring heart gave him the strength to say something, knowing she wouldn’t lose it on him. “Kagome… why… why did you ask me to let you decide to… you know?”

Her dark eyes widened, a flush coming to her cheeks. “Oh. Well…” She chewed her lip, organizing her thoughts. Inuyasha took the moment to scoot his chair around the table so they were sitting next to each other, rather than across, so she could whisper to him if she wanted. She softly, haltingly, explained that she’d never really taken the initiative before. She’d never had the desire, nor felt comfortable enough, to make the first move like that. Inuyasha felt something swell in his chest. She had felt that way with him. She wanted to kiss him and he had made her feel like she could approach him instead of waiting for him to come at her. And that’s exactly what it sounded like was happening to her with her previous relationships. Kagome’s partners attacking her with their feelings or physical shows of affection with no real thought as to what she wanted. Kagome wasn’t really timid, just in relationships, it seemed.

“If you aren’t against it, we could go grab dinner now,” he murmured, the pad of his pinky finger gently brushing the side of her hand. Kagome let out a breath. Her finger edged toward his until just their little fingers were overlapping. Inuyasha swallowed thickly. He wasn’t the most adept flirt either, but he wasn’t an idiot. She was giving him permission. Sliding their hands in tiny increments, eventually her hand covered his and curled around it. He waited a moment before squeezing to acknowledge where they were.

“Yea. I’d like that,” she whispered with a smile.


End file.
